Articles tagged with Plants
A research group found that cats use silver vine to repel mosquitoes due to its chemical defense properties. Nepetalactol activates a nervous system response in cats, which helps them transfer the substance to their fur for protection.
The study suggests that up to half of land ecosystems could reach a tipping point where they release more carbon than they absorb by 2100 under a business-as-usual emissions scenario. Biomes with high carbon storage, such as rainforests and Taiga forests, may lose over 45% of their carbon sink capabilities by midcentury.
A bacterium has been identified that produces the potent substance FR900359, which inhibits Gq proteins with similar potency to no other compound. The discovery facilitates large-scale production of the substance, allowing researchers to explore its therapeutic potential.
Astronauts on long-duration missions face nutrient deficiencies from dehydrated food; Ying Diao's research uses wearable sensors to monitor plant stress and optimize growth conditions. The technology has potential applications beyond space exploration, including addressing climate change by helping plants adapt to changing environments.
Researchers have engineered a new-to-nature metabolic connection, the TaCo pathway, which fixes CO2 instead of releasing it in photorespiration. This synthetic pathway is more energy-efficient than any other proposed alternative, with potential applications in improving crop yield and recycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
Researchers at Ohio State University have discovered a cheaper and more efficient way to conduct a chemical reaction that converts sugar into biofuels. The new method uses less expensive and simpler helper molecules, or cofactors, which are essential for energy conversion in cells.
A University of Guam study has found that retaining leaves during cycad stem cutting propagation and using anti-transpirant products have no effect on success rates. Healthy cycads can recover from root or leaf loss with proper care.
Researchers found that plants use rapid oscillations of stems and leaves due to wind to activate molecular switches, allowing them to respond to environmental changes. This discovery highlights the importance of plant sensitivity to mechanical signals, enabling them to prepare for storms.
Researchers have developed a method to quickly screen crops by analyzing the light signal emitted during photosynthesis, known as Solar Induced Fluorescence (SIF). This signal provides critical insights into photosynthesis, which could lead to improving crop yields and feeding humanity.
A new soft robotic gripper designed by researchers at the University of Georgia uses a unique twining motion to offer several advantages over existing robotic devices. The device has embedded sensors providing real-time feedback, enabling it to firmly grasp objects as small as 1 millimeter in diameter.
A study suggests that 96% of US crop wild relatives require high conservation priority due to limited understanding of their geographic distribution and current conservation status. Conservation action is needed in taxonomic hotspots across the country to safeguard these genetic resources for breeding and food security.
The carbon dioxide fertilization effect has declined globally since 1982, impacting climate change projections. This decline is linked to changes in nutrient concentrations and soil water availability.
Researchers Barbara Mazzolai and Andrea Toma at IIT have been awarded ERC grants for their projects on intelligent plant robots and new photosynthesis technologies. The projects aim to create collective behavior in plants and develop nanotechnology devices for storing solar energy in hydrogen.
Researchers have designed a portable device that can rapidly detect plant stress, including nitrogen deficiency, drought, heat, and light stress. The device uses a Raman leaf-clip sensor to probe the chemistry of leaves, allowing for early diagnosis and real-time monitoring of plant health.
A new study provides a theoretical foundation for understanding competitive root behavior, revealing that plants adjust their root growth strategies according to the proximity of competing plants. The research reconciles conflicting hypotheses and demonstrates that roots are likely used to preempt resource capture by competitors in nea...
Researchers discovered that plants adjust their root investment when planted with neighbors, reducing overlap to minimize competition. The study suggests a balance between aboveground and belowground resource use is key to understanding carbon deposition and optimizing food production.
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are developing innovative technologies to improve transportation, biology, radiation, and climate. Air taxis could significantly reduce fuel consumption while alleviating traffic congestion. Fungi use signaling molecules to communicate with each other and regulate growth. The lab is also vis...
Researchers at the University of Tsukuba used gene editing to introduce diversity into tomatoes, improving their nutrition and environmental sustainability. The study found that 10 out of 12 resulting tomato lines contained high levels of carotenoids, a precursor to vitamin A with antioxidant properties.
Researchers from Boyce Thompson Institute created a high-quality reference genome for S. pimpinellifolium, discovering sections of the genome underlying fruit flavor, size and ripening, stress tolerance and disease resistance. The study found over 92,000 structural variants related to important traits in cultivated tomatoes.
Researchers from SMART and TLL discovered a way to detect shade avoidance syndrome (SAS) in plants within hours using Raman spectroscopy, enabling farmers to intervene timely and improve crop yield. The method can be widely applied across various plant species and crops.
A recent study found that cassava can maintain its nutritional quality and photosynthetic efficiency even under elevated carbon dioxide levels. The crop showed significant yield increases of 22-39% in various varieties, making it a promising option for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.
Researchers at FAU identify a molecular marker in Cuscuta parasites that triggers recognition by tomato receptors, leading to immune response. The discovery may improve crop resistance to parasitic plants.
Researchers found that as microbes adapt to new hosts, they become less beneficial to hosts of other genotypes. The study suggests that there may not be a single universally healthy microbiome, and transplanted microbes need time to adjust before providing benefits.
Researchers developed a model that shows CAM-like metabolism can save more than 50% of water while maintaining 80% productivity in temperate climates. The study also identified an alternative CAM cycle involving mitochondrial enzyme ICDH, which can add up to 11% of total water savings.
Researchers at FAU identify a protein in dodder that triggers tomato defense mechanism, allowing crops to recognize and resist parasitic attacks. The discovery may lead to increased crop resistance against parasitic plants.
Research demonstrates that a stable bacterial microbiome exists within surface-sterilized perennial ryegrass seeds, which almost disappears as the plant matures but returns in a new generation of seed. The microbiome is influenced by soil type and can be used to track the movement of bacteria from parent to seed.
Researchers from the University of Portsmouth and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, have created a new checklist to guide plant breeders in growing crops more sustainably. The tool helps breeders understand species better and find ways to increase growth using wild plant species.
Researchers have developed a new technique to fabricate tiny circuits from ultrathin materials for next-generation electronics. Plants are being engineered to produce new molecules with enhanced properties, while lignin is transformed into a precursor for a useful chemical with wide range of applications
Researchers discovered a fungal virus that converts a deadly fungal pathogen into a beneficial endophytic fungus in rapeseed plants. The transformed fungus boosts the plant's immune system, leading to increased weight, root growth, and resistance to diseases.
A landmark special issue collaboration between Kew and New Phytologist Foundation highlights the global roadmap for protecting and sustainably using plants and fungi. The research emphasizes the importance of collaboration and recognizes the threats to plant and fungal diversity, highlighting a critical need for conservation efforts.
Domestication led to reduced genetic diversity and elimination of beneficial traits like robustness in drought stress and resistance to pathogens. The study identified key genes and metabolites influencing fruit quality, including health-promoting flavonoids and defensive compounds.
A global-scale meta-analysis found that diverse leaf litter increases decomposition rates by 34.7%. This could be crucial for predicting future changes in biogeochemical cycles and climate feedbacks on Earth.
Researchers at the University of Queensland have found a new family of toxins, gympietides, in the Gympie-Gympie stinging tree that can cause long-lasting pain similar to spider and cone snail venom. The toxins permanently change sodium channels in sensory neurons, suggesting potential for developing new painkillers.
Materials chemists at UMass Amherst create a polymer tattoo on plant leaves to detect early ozone damage, which can reduce crop yields and threaten the food supply. The innovative method allows for frequent and long-term monitoring of cellular ozone damage in economically important crops.
A team of scientists is developing genetically engineered switchgrass types that can grow anywhere and maximize crop yield, stress tolerance, and carbon sequestration. The research aims to create a sustainable biofuel solution to meet domestic energy demands.
A citizen science study led by the Estonian Research Council analyzed data from over 1,700 observations, revealing a systematic dominance of short-styled morphs and increased deviations in smaller populations with higher human population density. The findings have significant implications for conservation efforts, highlighting another ...
Researchers studied a unique plant species with one leaf that continues to grow larger indefinitely. The study found overlapping gene expression patterns, suggesting the plant's unusual growth is due to a hybrid of shoot meristem and leaf cells.
A study on Arctic tundra plants reveals that snow cover and summer temperature significantly impact functional trait diversity. In a warming climate, tundra plants may develop taller leaves and rapid resource-acquisition traits.
A study finds that crickets and camel crickets help disperse the seeds of the early-diverging orchid Apostasia nipponica. This mutualistic relationship allows both species to benefit from the association, with the insects obtaining nutrients from the pulp and the orchid achieving long-distance seed dispersal.
Researchers discover a novel mechanism of structural color in Viburnum tinus fruits, using lipid nanostructures to reflect blue light. The striking blue color may also serve as a signal to birds indicating the fruit's nutritional value.
A recent study by researchers at the University of Guam found that cycad plants share nitrogen and carbon through the soil, creating habitable environments for other organisms.
Researchers at Oregon State University have found that the order of microorganisms colonizing plants has a significant impact on microbiome composition and disease susceptibility. This discovery could provide farmers with important tools to combat plant diseases and maintain crop diversity.
A team led by Maggie Wagner will study how plants and microbes adapt to drought, focusing on genetic changes in microbial communities. The research aims to understand the impact of drought on plant growth, health, and ability to withstand water stress.
Researchers have found a new temperature sensing mechanism in plants that uses slow growth to measure long-term changes in temperature. The study reveals that the protein NTL8 plays a crucial role in this process, accumulating slowly over time and being diluted by faster growth rates.
Researchers detected six coumarins in oak wood, wine, and spirits, finding that a combination can produce a bitter taste. Higher levels of coumarins were found in red wines and spirits, particularly those aged for longer times.
A new study reveals that crop plants can absorb microplastics, contaminating edible plants and potentially entering the food chain. The research found that particles as small as 2 micrometers in size can be taken up by plant roots, raising concerns about human health and agricultural sustainability.
A study by UNSW researchers found that tropical plants are more at risk from climate change than previously thought, with over 20% predicted to face temperatures above their upper limit. This is because they are near their maximum seed germination temperatures, and even small temperature increases could push them over the edge.
Researchers at Helmholtz Munich identified hundreds of new information exchange points between plant proteins, revealing that most proteins function in multiple signaling pathways. This discovery may lead to new strategies for biotechnological development or breeding of plants to address climate change challenges.
Wild strains of salmonella have been found to reopen stomates on plants, allowing them to bypass the immune defense system and cause foodborne illnesses. This finding highlights the increasing threat of opportunistic pathogens jumping from plants to humans through contaminated foods.
Scientists have discovered a way to control plant processes, such as growth and immune response, using colored light. The new system, PULSE, allows for precise manipulation of gene expression and can be repeated multiple times, opening up possibilities for improving crop yields and plant defenses.
A global study found that cultivated economic plants are 18 times more likely to naturalize than non-cultivated species, with multiple uses being the most successful. Economic plants of Asian origin show the greatest naturalization success.
Researchers at UC Davis propose a novel model of sex evolution before and during grapevine domestication, revealing the genetic basis of hermaphroditism. The study finds that female individuals arise from a recessive deletion in a gene necessary for pollen germination.
A review paper argues that bacteriophages are essential for maintaining healthy bacterial communities around plant roots, which is vital for plant growth. The researchers suggest that these phages can stimulate microbes to protect plants during droughts and transfer DNA between cells, leading to new functionalities.
Researchers at IST Austria found that hormone Auxin and pressure play a crucial role in plant wound healing. By manipulating Auxin levels and cellular pressure, the team identified these governing processes as key to understanding how plants regenerate and survive in challenging environments.
Plant cells use mechanosensitive ion channels to sense cell swelling and induce programmed cell death. This regulatory mechanism protects the plant from damage. The discovery provides insight into how plants respond to mechanical signals, such as cell swelling, rather than chemical signals.
Researchers tracked the life cycles of 43 plant species over 25 years, finding that some species' growing seasons are lengthening while others are shortening. The study suggests that climate change may be driving seasonal life cycle shifts in plants, but more research is needed to confirm this.
Researchers used co-clustering analysis to study the spatio-temporal differentiation of spring phenology in China. The results revealed three spatial patterns and five temporal patterns, with most areas in China exhibiting a stable state, while northern regions showed fluctuating trends.
Researchers analyzed long-term first bloom dates dataset using Bregman block average co-clustering algorithm with I-divergence, revealing spatio-temporal differentiation of spring phenology in China. The study identified three spatial patterns and five temporal categories, with most areas belonging to the stable state.
Researchers found a phenomenon called 'epigenetic resetting' in plant sperm that erases histone modifications, allowing seeds to forget their environment. This mechanism is similar to data erasure on hard drives and is essential for plants to adapt to changing conditions.
A new study by UMass Amherst and NC State biologists found that flower strips benefit common Eastern bumblebees despite some plants increasing pathogen infection rates. The researchers created three conditions with canola plants and different types of flower strips, showing that bees reproduce more with flower strips than without.